I finished my course and changed my career at the age of 50 in the year 2020 | Brenda E Crump | Unbiased Narrative 2.1
21 Feb 2021
To COVID-19,
You have been a humbling experience. You made me realize how fragile we are. We think we are great. But are we? We think that all the technology around us is great, but did it really help?
In hindsight, I feel that you just laughed at us!
I was working as a career counselor for 25 years. I spoke about finance, family planning but never about a pandemic. I was in my apartment watching television with my partner when the emergency was announced. My immediate thoughts were, Oh No! This is not good. Hope it can be controlled before it spreads. It is sad to see how it is affecting so many people. I was worried back then. I was back to school that year. My mind was running with thoughts like will it affect my career choice? Will I be able to find work after finishing school? On the contrary, I finished my course and changed my career at the age of 50 in the year 2020. I was hired right away as a Therapeutic Recreation assistant at a senior care facility with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). I chose a career, which was needed in the pandemic. Many workers had quit because either they had low immunity or they were scared. And with the isolation that our older adults are facing, their recreation is more important than ever. I was inspired to work in this field of Recreation Therapy when I saw my father age and move to a care home.
I have been working with VCH since August’2020. VCH is on top of everything and I get authentic first-hand information about the situation. Being informed has been helpful. I stay reasonable and do not overthink. I wear masks and sanitize. I had this habit of wiping my nose while adjusting my glasses. I noticed it only when the health authorities said that we should not touch our faces often. I am more aware now. As soon as I enter my work building, I change my clothes and shoes. If I get any stuff for an activity, I isolate that box in the storage room for 3 days and post that only I give it to the older adults. I need to plan my activities in advance. Throughout, I was worried that I will be working with the older adults and so I didn’t want to overly expose myself in the community. I reduced my grocery trips. I started buying extra non-perishable foods such as rice, pasta, and canned vegetables to avoid multiple visits.
There was this one situation at our care home where 20 people in a unit had to go under lockdown. Everyone who worked with them had to put on PPE gowns, goggles, facemasks, and gloves. The day when I had to work in that neighborhood took my breath away. It became a reality that I was walking in an area with a high risk of getting the virus and that I might carry the virus home. The moment I came home, I took a bath. This pandemic has strengthened my relationship with my partner. Staying at home and not going out is a test of whether we really get along. Can we communicate easily? He is a blessing to me. There are days when I am excited to be back home and want to sit down and talk to him and I have to remind myself to wash my hands first.
It was particularly hard for me to see my 3-year-old granddaughter wearing masks. She was 2 when the pandemic started and so many of her firsts were taken away such as sitting on the Santa Claus, baking, playing in the park, and meeting neighbors. Little children want to hold hands, hug each other. Instead, we had to take them away from each other on the streets. It is natural for a child to play. It was sad that we couldn’t let her do any of that. Children have been denied social learning, close friendships, and learning to share and communicate. These are so important for them.
This pandemic also showed who my true friends are and they kept in touch throughout. I feel fortunate to have them. We had to think hard about whom we could have in our little bubble of 6. Apart from my son’s family, we focused on our single friends. My partner and I are there for each other but my cousin has nobody to talk to. It was important for me to stay connected with her. But, I could not meet my uncle at his care home. He looks identical to my father and it felt like I was not being able to meet my father. Although I understand the reason, it was difficult.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I had thought that I would have to stay in the house, so I would fix certain things. I did nothing of that sort. We were lucky that we both were employed, busy with work and we had food to eat. We are a lot of people on Earth. If we don’t keep ourselves in check, things spread. We have to be more careful.
(Brenda is a hugger. Well! Don’t we all miss hugs now? She works as a Therapeutic Recreation Assistant at a senior care facility with Vancouver Coastal Health. It is enriching to discuss anything under the sun with her.)
